Volume 95, Issue 8

VOL 95 : 08 october 25, 2017 torchonline.com

The award-winning independent student newspaper of St. John’s University

"we're here to help" inside THE ISSUE

TORCH PHOTO/NICK BELLO

Public Safety Head Calls for Trust With Students

Friends RECALL MEMORIES WITH ZACHARY MISLEH PAGE 4

MALE DANCE TEAM Member ADDS "DIFFERENT DYNAMIC"

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PLAYOFFS IN FUTURE FOR WOMEN's BASKETBALL TEAM

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ariana ortiz

Co-News Editor Denise Vencak became the second woman to run Public Safety here at St. John’s in the school’s nearly 150-year history -- and the first to do so on a permanent basis -- when she was named executive director this past June.

Vencak, who started as a sergeant for Public Safety 25 years ago, said in a recent wide-ranging interview with the Torch that she has a “vested interest” in the University.

“I hope and I think the students feel safe when they’re here,” Vencak said. “We try to make sure that they feel that way, and we do our best to make sure that that happens. We have a lot of security in place here, and sometimes the students don’t like the security that’s in place, like how you have to use your ID card to go in and out of certain buildings, but that’s there to protect students.”

Vencak, who replaced longtime Public Safety director Tom Lawrence who retired, is a retiree of the NYPD like many Public Safety officers. She said about 60 percent of Public Safety staff come from “some prior law enforcement.”

But she stressed that just like in any other job change, those who make the transition from law enforcement to Public Safety here need to adjust their approach.

“We’re not police officers; police officers have a different power,” she said. “We don’t have the powers of arrest, so we’re not here to arrest a student or to take any action on the student unless the student’s doing something to another student, someone in the community, or the student’s going to hurt themselves.

“Public Safety is part of the University community, we’re not part of the NYPD, we’re not part of any outside agency. We’re here to help our community.”

According to Vencak, Public Safety officers undergo between 35 and 40 hours a year for training, as well as mandatory diversity training.

“I know what it is to be in direct contact everyday with students, so I enforce that and I stay positive to let students know that we’re there for them,” she said. “I want the students to be able to trust the Public Safety officers, I want them to be able to come to the Public Safety officers, I want them to consider them as friends.

“And I think that across the board we have that already, but we always look to enhance that, that the students feel comfortable with us and they’re willing to come to us for anything.”

Vencak says she is confident that current campus security policies are keeping students safe, but added that new precautions continue to be implemented both stateside and abroad.

“We continuously monitor the conditions on campus,” Vencak said. “We check lighting on a weekly basis, we have emergency phones -- we call them the blue light phones -- we check them to make sure they’re all working, we’ll add cameras depending on what’s going on. We’re continuously evolving and adding security.”

Vencak added that the University is conducting a security assessment of the Queens campus in tandem with organizations such as the New York Police Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau and New York City’s Emergency Management team.

“We have a great relationship with the NYPD, with the emergency service unit,” Vencak said. “They’re here for most of our games, and they’re here strictly in case something does happen, not here as police officers to take in [students].”

Continued on page 4

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Supporting the Local ‘Mercado’ at SJU

Contributing Writer The Latin American Student Organization (LASO) held their “Mercado,” meaning “market” in Spanish, on Thursday, Oct. 19.

The event was the organization’s very own version of a street fair, similar to what one would stumble across wandering the streets of a Latin American country, but with a slightly informative incentive. Although the cobblestone streets were missing from Room 128 in the D’Angelo Center, the “market” sentiment was alive and well.

“The environment…the Hispanic feel...It feels [like] home,” senior Luis Mora said. For Mora, home is Costa Rica.

The tables that lined the walls of the room were full of food, artwork, clothing and many other items available for purchase certainly provided that “mercado libre” or “free market” feel for students.

The smell of Latin sweets such as Conchas and Arroz Con Leche were just some of the aromas that perhaps provided that feeling of “home” for Mora.

Attendees interested in learning about Latin heritage and supporting local artists engaged in conversation with the craftsmen and members of LASO to further their understanding of the event.

“It’s a brand new cultural experience for me so I’m just kind of taking it all in,” senior Andre Varnado Jr. said as salsa music blared in the background.

“I love [being] able to support local artists in this way,” senior Diamari Velez added.

“You see their stuff on Instagram… So it’s

TORCH PHOTO/ANDREINA RODRIGUEZ

jillian ortiz

Shirts, bags, jewelry and posters were just some of the items up for sale at LASO’s event.

cool that everyone is here and we get to do this and support them,” Velez said.

Posters, earrings, necklaces and decorative pins were just some of the items sold by local artists and craftsmen, who did not hesitate to inform and engage with attendees.

The Mujeristas Collective was also present to sell their zines, and advocating for women of

color to express themselves by purchasing their “pu*a” pins as well as other items.

In addition to the tables run by local artists, LASO was vending hats, stickers and shirts.

LASO Treasurer Melissa Lozano said half of the proceeds generated from the Mercado event will aid those in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria.

“This is part of a larger effort that we’re having, we’ll be having other fundraisers over this year to help fund Puerto Rico,” Lozano said.

Although Mercado was one of the last events to close off Latino Heritage Month before the annual Latino Heritage Month Formal, LASO said that they are planning several other cultural functions for the remainder of the year.

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Travel Concerns for SJU Students in Rome Stricter Border Enforcement Increases Permit Importance Editor-in-Chief

The University says it has advised students who are studying abroad in Italy to be cautious about travel within the European Union after the first 90 days of the program if they do not have an official permit to stay.

The Italy-issued permit in question is called the Permesso di Soggiorno (PdS), which all students participating in semester-long study abroad programs in Italy are required to obtain. But according to three students overseas, who spoke to the Torch on the condition of anonymity, the current class was not advised on obtaining this document. In response, the University said the time to process the documents can be extremely long, students sometimes don’t receive the permit until after the semester is over — and it often hasn’t been needed to travel outside Italy, anyway.

“In recognition of this timing issue, European authorities have been nearly universally flexible in their approach to the permit,” Matthew Pucciarelli, associate provost of Global Studies, told the Torch in a statement. “In fact, travel throughout Europe had been trouble-free for the tens of thousands of U.S. students who study in Italy each year, even when that travel took place after the initial 90 day period had elapsed.”

One of the students who’s currently abroad told the Torch the class was told in September that the process of getting the card takes too long, and that they’d be back in America by the time it was processed.

“Back in August we were brought to the post office to make fingerprinting appointments and get receipts. These receipts are only good for 90 days and we were sent an email being told this information for the first time about a week ago,” the student said.

All three students said they received an email from their residence director about the issue on Oct. 12. The email, obtained by the Torch, told students that they “must” apply for a PdS within eight days after they arrive in Italy. Students can travel freely with the

receipt for the card in their first 90 days of study. But after the 90th day, students need the official card — or risk consequences such as, according to the university, including expulsion “from another E.U. country or be denied re-entry into Italy.”

The semester began on Aug. 22, students said, and ends on Dec. 15, making it a 122day program.

“They told us not to worry because ‘it’s rare’ and ‘typically only common within northern countries’,” one of the students in Rome said, adding later on, “They also told us it would be rare that someone could stop us on the street and ask us for our passports, and they have already done that.”

The University was compelled to raise this issue with students in an email this month in response to advisement from the American Association of College and University Programs in Italy (AACUPI). According to Pucciarelli, AACUPI held a member meeting on Oct. 7 in which the group’s attorney told them that about 10 U.S. students in the past two years were questioned by immigra-

“

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We asked how we would finish school if we were to be deported, and they said that they would just ‘Skype us to finish classes’

tion officials at national borders.

In Pucciarelli’s statement, he wrote of those instances, “Those officials were less flexible in accepting travel within Europe without a permit (beyond the initial 90 days) and the potential consequences of travel without a permit, though rarely enforced, can be severe: in the worst case, a student could be expelled from another E.U. country or be denied re-entry into Italy.”

Therefore, the AACUPI advised — and Pucciarielli said the University agreed — schools to make their students aware of the concern driven by the situation, “even though

Example of the permit—not an SJU student.

the chances of an issue remain very low.”

Despite that attempt at reassurance, the students who spoke with The Torch say students there have taken issue with learning now that a possibility exists of being sent home because they don’t have proper documentation.

“We asked how we would finish school if we were to be deported, and they said that they would just “Skype us to finish classes,” one student said.

Another of the students voiced concern about traveling to Spain. Typically, students travel to other European nations while abroad.

“Also many students that planned trips now including myself and three others are caught not knowing what to do as we have booked flights to Spain and been told by an administrator that there is a risk but it will probably be okay and acted as [if] being deported and missing the rest of the semester was no big deal,” the student said.

Additionally, the same student alluded to the mention of being Skyped for class if students were expelled from the country.

“I just don’t see how any administrator is going to advocate for that type of risk,” they said.

PHOTO COURTESY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS MAOMETTO1001

In his statement to the Torch, Pucciarelli said the University followed up on its Oct. 12 email regarding the PdS to answer students’ questions during an Oct. 17 meeting.

Students who were present told the Torch that they were presented with what was essentially the same information provided in the email.

However, the same student who discussed a trip to Spain said they weren’t as concerned about their travel following the meeting.

“Everyone is still going to travel. Nobody really cares about it anymore,” the student said.

Pucciarelli added the University will use this experience to help students prepare for travel abroad with the stricter enforcement restrictions in mind.

“We have made clear that travel within Italy presents no new risks, so we encourage students to explore the country during their final weeks of the program,” he said.

The PdS requirement does not stand for the Discover the World program because those students are only in each of the three DTW countries for five-week stretches and don’t need a visa if they are a U.S. citizen.

University Issues Clery Report

Reports of Rape and Liquor Violations on Rise, Drug Violations Decline suzanne ciechalski

Editor-in-Chief

Reports of rape on campus increased by three incidents in 2016, according to the University’s recently-released Clery report. There were four reported incidents that years, compared to two in 2015 and one in 2014.

In a statement to the Torch regarding the Clery report, the University’s Title IX Coordinator, Yael Wepman said the school “has a robust mandatory prevention and education program that includes multiple steps and repeat contacts with students using various methods of communication.”

These steps include making sure students are aware of and understand prohibited conduct, and knowing what resources and report-

ing options are available to them.

Additionally, Wepman said the University’s program ensures that students are aware of their “procedures for responding to complaints of sexual misconduct, including the investigation and adjudication process.”

Last spring St. John’s partnered with Project Callisto, a new sexual assault reporting system.

The founders of Callisto told the Torch in September that the number of sexual assault reports at the first few schools they partnered with rose, which they considered a positive because sexual assault is widely underreported.

Any impact that Project Callisto may have had on increasing reports of sexual assault would not be represented in this report because it represents the 2016 calendar year.

The Clery report, a public, federally-mandated report, is released yearly by all feder-

ally-funded colleges and universities in the United States. It includes a comprehensive look at crime statistics, ranging from thefts to assaults. St. John’s students may know it as the “Annual Security and Fire Safety Report,” which appears in students’ inboxes on or around the first of October each year.

Under the “sex offenses category,” which includes reports of rape, are fondling, incest and statutory rape. There have been no reports of incest or statutory rapes since 2014 and there were two reports of fondling in 2016, up from zero and four in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

In an email, Student Government Inc. President Frank Obermeyer told the Torch, “At the moment, SGI is not working on any of its own initiatives which involve sexual assault awareness.

We do support all that the office of well-

ness is doing to bring awareness and bystander training to our student body. Having done the training with my fraternity, I would love to see more students partake in the Bystander Intervention Training program.”

The Torch asked the Office of Media Relations about any other sexual-assault related programs the University has initiated in recent years and whether their effectiveness could be measured in the most recent report.

A response was not received by deadline.

Some other notable figures from the Clery report include an increase in vehicle thefts -there were 10 last year compared six in each of the two previous years.

There also was increase in liquor law violations on campus, from 195 in 2015 to 242 last year, and a decrease in drug law violations, from 134 in 2015 to 84 last year.

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Remembering Zachary Misleh

Editor-in-Chief

Friends of Zachary Misleh remember him for what they say were his best attributes: a huge smile, passion for music, dedication to service, and an ability to talk to anyone about anything. It’s these things, they say, that they’ll miss the most about him.

Misleh, a freshman, died in June. A mass was held in his memory last Friday at St. Thomas More Church, and according to students who were present, about 30 friends, family and faculty were in attendance.

“The mass itself was pretty emotional,” Misleh’s former roommate, Ben Behrend, said. “Father Griffin gave a fantastic homily, I really liked his message of the thin line between Heaven and Earth, and how, while Zach is not here physically, he is with us in Spirit.”

For one of his other roommates, Patrick Kohn, it was collages of Misleh at the mass that really caught his attention.

“When I walked in I was so, just like, captured by all the pictures of him,” he said.

“All the pictures [of] him, like smiling and being with his brother and friends.”

He later added, “When people take pictures, they’re always smiling, so you don’t like, see someone frowning in a picture. But it was just like every picture he smiled and he has such a nice, genuine smile. I don’t know.

It was something...I just felt really...Something powerful about seeing all the pictures of him smiling.”

Kohn and Behrend said they bonded with Misleh over music, which isn’t a shock for those who knew them. Katherine Ross, a fellow member of the Ozanam Scholars program said Misleh played several instruments including the upright bass, ukulele and the guitar. He sang, too.

“He actually [had] a YouTube page that none of us discovered until after he had passed. His parents shared it with us,” she said.

Shannon Pagett, a close friend of Misleh’s described him as a “music guru.”

“He had heard every song and has been to every concert,” she said.

He had some quirks, such as skateboarding everywhere, even to throw out his garbage, and he planned to affix patches to his backpack from every country he visited, according to Ross. But perhaps what his friends will

PHOTO COURTESY/PATRICK KOHN

PHOTO COURTESY/KATHERINE ROSS

PHOTO COURTESY/SHANNON PADGETT

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miss the most about him, they said, is his charming personality, and the way he could hold a conversation with anyone.

“My favorite thing about Zach though was that anytime I ran into Zach he would always say, ‘hey,’ and we would have a little conversation about how our days were going, and I would leave every conversation with him, smiling,” Behrend said. “He just had a way to making people smile and laugh.”

Additionally, his friends all expressed admiration for his dedication to service — a key part of the Ozanam Scholars program.

“He was also very passionate about service work and helping those in need,” Padgett said. “He would tell me all the stories of the mission trips he’d been on and the ways he served those in need.”

Since Misleh’s death, Ross said his parents have kept in touch with his friends in the Ozanam Scholars program, which she said has been a huge help.

“His mom would like send us emails over the summer of just like, ‘words of wisdom’ or just like, ‘Hey, just checking in. How are you guys doing?’” she said. “They were one of the biggest supports through this whole thing, which is insane, because I’m like, ‘You

need support a lot more than I do.’”

Misleh’s parents made a website in his memory that has photos of him, stories shared by others and even the homily from his funeral, Ross said.

Kohn, Behrend and Ross all attended Friday’s memorial mass for Misleh. Behrend said speaking with Misleh’s parents at the mass gave him some closure, while Kohn said it gave him mixed feelings, because he wished he could have spoken with him more. Nevertheless, he got some semblance of peace out of Friday’s memorial.

“He’s in a better place now and he’s happy,” he said. “I have faith in that.”

Padgett said her heart dropped upon seeing Misleh’s parents, and said she thinks of his family often.

“I think it was very important for his family to hear from all of his friends at SJU and learn stories that they may not have known or just really understand to the extent of how much Zach was loved here at SJU and how big of an impact he made on the SJU community in just one short year,” she said.

“Every day I meet someone new I wish so badly they could have the privilege of knowing Zach like I did.”

New Public Safety Head Talks Enhanced Security Continued from page 1 Public Safety is also looking to strengthen security around Carnesecca Arena, which draws especially large crowds throughout basketball season; Vencak said the University will be installing new equipment within the next month to establish just that, and added that the adjustments will be so subtle that students will likely not even notice them.

“We just continually enhance and adjust [safety procedures] based on what’s going on in the world.” Vencak said.

Vencak is not only responsible for heading campus security in Queens; she says that she and her stateside team collaborate with what she refers to as the University’s global Public Safety team abroad. She says that while “the approach is the same” in terms of keeping our campuses abroad secure, there are added tools and techniques Public Safety uses to do so.

“We do have cameras [over there] and monitor the global campuses from here,” Vencak said.

On the University’s Rome and Paris campuses, the watchmen who occupy each lobby desk continuously keep in contact with Vencak and her team, calling in at least three times a day to keep them updated. Other policies include Vencak and her team checking in with the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) daily, and monitoring social media for real-time updates.

Under Vencak’s leadership, Public Safety has implemented briefing students who are abroad on safety measures at the end of every week to prepare them for going off-campus for the weekend; this measure includes a form that students are encouraged to fill out when leaving for their long weekends.

“It used to just be a suggestion, now it’s a little bit more of a push.” Vencak said, adding that it is still voluntary.

Vencak says her main focuses in her new role not only include making students feel safe on campus, but also ensuring that the relationship between the student body and Public Safety is one of trust.

“I’ve been meeting with a lot of the student groups, I’ve had a one-on-one with Haraya and SGI, and I have planned meetings with a

couple of the other groups here on campus,” she said. “I’m willing to meet with any of the groups.”

Denise Vencak hopes to make friendships with students.

TORCH PHOTO/NICK BELLO

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Flames of the Torch The Importance of Making Students Feel Safe

Managing Board XCV

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Suzanne Ciechalski, Editor-in-Chief Bryant Rodriguez, Managing Editor

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Ariana Ortiz News Editor Isabella Bruni News Editor Derrell Bouknight Sports Editor Dylan Hornik Sports Editor Beverly Danquah Features Editor Michael Ambrosino Entertainment Editor Angelica Acevedo Opinion Editor

Steven Verdile Design Editor Lauren Finegan Photo Editor Courtney Dixon Chief Copy Editor Amanda Negretti Assistant Photo Editor Erin Bola Social Media Manager Angelica Acevedo Social Media Manager Jim Baumbach Adviser

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The Torch, St. John’s University O’Connor Hall - B Level 8000 Utopia Parkway Queens, NY 11439

Staff and contributors Jillian Ortiz Angel Vera Rasheeda Campbell Yves Nguyen Christopher Viola Alexis Gaskin

Chyna Davis Rachel Johnson Nina J. Stefanelli Andreina Rodriguez Nick Bello Annastasia R. Marburger

Samantha DeNinno Alessia Pisciotta Nick McCreven John Cavanagh Sean Okula

Editorial policy

About the Torch

Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of the Torch.

Columns and other content are the opinions of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of the Torch.

Opinions expressed in editorials, columns, letters or cartoons are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty or administration of St. John’s University.

All contents are the sole responsibility of the editors and the editorial board and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of St. John’s University unless specifically stated.

The Torch is the official, independent student newspaper of St. John’s University. The Torch is written, edited, designed and produced by students of the University.

The Torch is published on on most Wednesdays, with approximately 20 issues throughout the academic year.

Copies are distributed for free on campus and through mail subscriptions.

Contributions All letters submitted for publication must include the author’s name, email and affliliation to St. John’s. Limit letters to 350 words. Submissions may be edited for clarity. Please submit letters to torchopinion@gmail.com

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Advertisements are subject to space limits and must be submitted by 12 p.m. the Sunday before publication for the issue of placement.

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In this week’s issue, we interviewed Denise Vencak, the new executive director for Public Safety. Vencak spoke in part about the measures Public Safety implements to create a secure environment for students, stating that she hopes they all feel safe when they are here.

We are glad that this is a priority for our Public Safety officers.

Due to the dangerous situations that have taken place in the past on campuses and other public places nationwide — be it violent demonstrations or mass shootings — feeling comfortable and secure seems almost like a privilege.

These measures assure students that as long as they are on a St. John’s campus, there are a number of safeguards in place.

For instance, those who dorm can rest easy knowing that once the Resident Safety Monitor student finishes his or her shift at 11 p.m., a Public Safety officer takes over.

Outside visitors must also leave all campuses by 11 p.m., which is when all the gates close as well.

According to Vencak, Public Safety officers aspire to not only bolster campus security,

but also want to assure students that they are there for them.

“Public Safety is part of the University community, we’re not part of the NYPD, we’re not part of any outside agency.” Vencak said, emphasizing the difference between Public Safety and the NYPD. Many students have developed great relationships with the officers that guard us; who can forget Gerald “Jerry” Anthony Alfano, the retired public safety officer the Torch featured in our April 27, 2016 Flames editorial.

Vencak also mentioned that while she believes relations between students and Public Safety officers are amicable, they can still be improved. She has even welcomed student groups to meet with her to discuss any concerns they may have-- opening this bridge of communication is undoubtedly a great start to accomplishing this. It is also a promising beginning to Vencak’s tenure as head of Public Safety.

She calls for trust from students; as students, we call for transparency and openness from our University’s administrators. We believe that when this balance is struck, it makes for an ideal experience.

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Why You Should Care About Net Neutrality angel vera

Staff Writer

As of now you have probably heard a lot about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its examination surrounding Net Neutrality, right? Well if you are like most Americans, you actually haven’t.

Most of us have never heard of Net Neutrality, what it means or why we should care about it. There is good reason for that too, Ajit Pai and the FCC doesn’t want to bring attention to this nor do they necessarily have to.

To put it plainly, Net Neutrality has to do with the regulation and Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) control of the world wide web.

The mainstream media has not done justice covering Net Neutrality despite how crucial it is to our society, our democracy and even our right to free speech.

Currently the ISP monopoly — Comcast, AT&T, Verizon and so on — is lobbying the FCC to get rid of Net Neutrality protections.

What do those protections entail exactly?

The Electronic Frontier Foundation puts it simply: “The idea that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should treat all data that travels over their networks fairly, without improper discrimination in favor of particular apps, sites or services.”

In other words, the company that we pay in order to have access to the internet cannot block, promote or restrict any content of the world wide web.

This means that if Verizon hypothetically works out a deal with the streaming service Hulu, they cannot restrict or slow down your bandwidth (internet connection strength and speed) when you try to connect to Netflix.

The ACLU describes this scenario as “new technologies now allow telecom companies to scrutinize every piece of information we send or receive online — websites, email, videos, internet phone calls, or data generated by games or social networks.”

And they can program the computers that route that information to interfere with the data flow by slowing down or blocking traffic and communicators that they don’t like and speeding up traffic they do like or that

pays them extra for the privilege.”

Take that into account with the political tampering of the Internet. What is to stop companies from restricting certain viewpoints and promoting others? This now becomes a matter of not just free speech but of your right to information.

The only people that would benefit from the repeal of Net Neutrality are ISP companies that can use the complete deregulation of Broadband communication services to help their profits.

Sadly, the damage has already been done.

According to Taylor Hatmaker of TechCrunch, “in a 215-205 vote on Senate Joint Resolution 34 (H. Res. 230), the House voted to repeal broadband privacy regulations that the Obama administration’s FCC introduced in 2016.

ISPs no longer need to seek consent from their customers in order to share their sensitive private data (it’s worth noting that ISPs can collect it, either way).”

Although that is a big blow, it’s nothing compared to removing Net Neutrality. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed the agency repeal its 2015 decision to reclassify broad-

band providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act. Here is what we can do: We need to call our senators and representatives, call the FCC and make noise. The Internet was meant to be an open tool free from restrictions, and the FCC knows they can’t win without making sure people aren’t informed.

So much so that “Comcast, AT&T are paying minority groups to support killing net neutrality,” as TechDirt reported.

Countries like Mexico are already suffering from lack of ISP protections. Not only is data and broadband expensive in these places, but companies make partnerships with other companies also such as Uber to promote themselves and undermine fair competition.

If you care about your Netflix or memes, do something before Net Neutrality is gone. If it’s gone, the way we access the Internet will change indefinitely, and not for the better. If you want to help protect Net Neutrality, you can support groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the ACLU and Free Press who are fighting to keep Net Neutrality.

6 Opinion

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Nicole McCambridge Senior | Journalism “I stayed at a hotel while on a road trip with my family. We saw a weird looking building across the street and my parents and I joked about it probably being an old asylum. We looked it up and it actually was one! There was this guy in the 1930’s who used to sterilize people there, and the Nazis actually got ideas from him. It was horrifying!”

Alexandra Wilson Senior | Sports Mgmt .

“My favorite ghost story is the ‘Ghost of the Bloody Finger.’

It starts out as being scary with there being a ghost haunting this guy, but has a funny ending because the ghost asks him if he had a bandaid!”

Raven Haynes Senior | Journalism “My favorite ghost story as a child is a South Carolina ghost story called ‘Army of the Dead.’ It’s about a laundress who moves to Charleston, South Carolina after the war and hears the ghosts of dead soldiers and horsemen walk past her home every night.’’

Student Sparks: Spooky Stories | By Rasheeda Campbell, Staff Writer Jamia Brooks Junior | Communications “In high school, I served as a junior counselor for a camp at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. There was talk about a 5-year-old ghost named Mortimer haunting a secret doorway … he drowned in the school’s old natatorium.

When my team and I went on a ghost hunt to find him, I went down a hall that lead to a doorway with childlike things around it. I brought my bumblebee pillow pet with me and my advisor captured a picture of an undefined shape of a small person holding my pillow pet!”

Jorge Padilla Senior | Criminal Justice “One night I was just lying on my bed in my room, texting. I then looked at my wall and saw a shadow moving. I thought it was me so I stood still.

The shadow kept moving!

I got so freaked out!”

Dina Taveras Freshman | Bio-Med “One night I was sleeping in my bed and my dad comes to wake me up. Before he opened the door he saw a person run across the room. He went to see where the person ran to, but when he checked he didn’t find anyone. He thought it was me, but then when he came in my room he saw me lying on my bed.”

MILLENIAL THINK: The Perks of Streaming STEVEN VERDILE Design Editor

Imagine rushing home to catch the newest episode of your favorite television show, only to hit typical Queens traffic and realize you’re going to miss it.

Today, this dilemma seems almost non-existent, as we are increasingly cutting our linear television viewing habits and switching to streaming.

The same trend is true for music, as streaming services and aux cords are becoming the new radio.

While Netflix and Spotify may just seem like new ways to consume media, what they say about our generation is something much larger.

The most apparent benefit of streaming is convenience.

Television and music should not control our schedule, and with the ability to play and pause whenever we like; we are in control of our experience. Add the ability to

tune-in on our phones, tablets and laptops, and it is clearly a more accessible way of experiencing entertainment.

One of the most positive side effects of streaming platforms is the encouragement to try new things.

Few people would pay money for an album of an artist they never heard before, but the “all-you-can-eat-buffet” style of music streaming inspires users to check out new artists and genres.

If you don’t like what you hear, simply press next and you’ve lost nothing.

Another great result of these services is that it appeals to the individual, not the masses.

While cable networks are forced to target a wide audience with a specific type of content, Netflix can simultaneously deliver different content to different people.

If there is a particular show that is enjoyed by a niche market, large networks have no incentive to air it because they have a limited amount of air-time, but streaming services can add it to their library without hurting their other programs.

This ultimately results in more diverse

torch ILLUSTRATION/ Annastasia R. Marburger

content and a more inclusive field of television.

For now, streaming is also a cheaper alternative, but that aspect may change as more networks pull their programs from outside

services and create their own.

Whether or not it remains cheaper, streaming appears to be the way of the future, and I’m happy to see it continually grow.

Entertainment

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Student Sparks 13 Nights of Halloween

7

alessia pisciotta

Staff Writer

Giselle Orellana Freshman – Undecided “I can’t wait to see The Addams Family because it’s a movie I’ve liked since I was little. I really enjoy watching it, my favorite character is Wednesday just because her whole character and personality are hilarious to me.”

Valeria Ospina Freshman – Psychology “I’m most looking forward to Monsters Inc. because as a little girl that was my favorite movie. My parents used to call me Boo because I would run around with pigtails so the movie brings back a childhood memory.”

James Livia Senior – Homeland Security “I’m looking forward to watching Hocus Pocus. I used to watch it every weekend with my younger sister and my little cousins when we were kids. So watching that movie brings back memories of spending my childhood with them.”

Dina Goodger Sophomore – Risk Management “To be honest, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, if not my very favorite.

There’s a lot of great movies around this time. Of course, everyone is waiting for Hocus Pocus… it’s iconic. It’s THE Halloween movie! ”

Jaylene Decastro Senior – Psychology “I’m excited to see Hocus Pocus. It’s a Disney Channel original, I used to watch it every October. I love the characters and the setting is super cute.”

Fathy Gauthier Sophomore – Criminal Justice “I’m looking forward to seeing Men in Black. Will Smith is my favorite actor, and I love the special effects in that movie. “

Baker’s “Florida Project” is a Joy “Happy Death Day” Kills ariana ortiz

Co-News Editor

In Christopher B. Landon’s “Happy Death Day,” sorority girl Tree (Jessica Rothe) repeats the same day on a seemingly eternal loop that begins with her birthday and ends in her murder—the setup may feel all too familiar after Harold Ramis’ cult classic “Groundhog Day.” However, “Happy Death Day” takes the premise that the former made famous and successfully marries it with a smart, darkly comedic slasher movie reminiscent of “Scream.”

Rothe as self-centered mean girl Tree is fun to hate at first, but the urge to cheer for her is almost inescapable despite her many, many flaws. There is also a gradual change in her that feels genuine and well-executed (and only the tiniest bit cheesy) for a mere 96-minute runtime.

The movie is rife with tension but avoids being exhausting thanks to good

PHOTO COURTESY/youtube movieclips trailers

pacing and moments of comedic relief interspersed throughout. Sorority sister Danielle, played brilliantly by Rachel Matthews, is the center of many of these gags, and also provides a vicious glimpse into Tree’s former self. Israel Broussard as Carter, a clueless but kind do-gooder whose dorm room Tree repetitively begins her day in, begins as little more than part of the scenery in Tree’s nightmarish situation, but shines in the latter half of the movie in a romantic subplot that is surprisingly

fitting.

“Happy Death Day” is billed as a mystery and thriller, which it embodies exceptionally; the persisting question of who her killer is and the more immediate one of what may lurk behind every corner makes for a movie not only perfect for the season, but one that feels like it may have a shelf life far beyond that.

Despite the comparisons, “Happy Death Day” stands on its own as a satisfying take on dark comedy and horror.

samantha deninno

Staff Writer

In a mere hour and fifty-five minutes, director Sean Baker has managed to successfully transport his audience into the world of six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her single mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) living in the “Magic Castle” motel on the outskirts of Walt Disney World, Florida.

Over one summer, the audience is allowed to take a peek into this child’s memory in a way I have yet to see on film.

This is made possible not just by brilliant direction and stylistic choices, but the incredible acting as well. Child actors, Brooklynn Prince, Christopher Rivera and Valeria Cotto have child-like energy, excitement and emotions that race across the screen in such a way that you can’t help but to smile and laugh along with them.

Not once in this film did it feel like these actors and actresses were acting.

Discovered on Instagram, Bria Vinaite debuts in a dynamite manner; she is angry, caring and human in a way that would make any seasoned actor jealous.

Willem Dafoe also shines as the motel’s stern but compassionate manager in a softer role not atypical of him but wonderfully delightful all the same.

I believe this film will be remembered as one of the best films on childhood. Brightened colors and heightened sounds contributed to the strong feeling that we as an audience had tapped directly into this child’s memory. We understood her happiness, pain, and desire to maybe change the ending of her story.

I would most definitely recommend this film to those who wish to spend two hours with a story that is deeply human.

8 Features

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MEET MATTHEW KIRSCHENHEITER

Freshman Captures the Attention of Many at Annual Tip-Off CHYNA DAVIS

Staff Writer

On October 13, the St. John’s Dance Team performed at Red Storm Tip-Off at Carnesecca Arena on the University’s Queens campus.

For most, it would be the first time you may have gotten a glimpse of freshman, Matthew Kirschenheiter, who is new to the dance team this year.

The Long Island native began dancing when he was 4 years old.

“I started because my sister was dancing,” Kirschenheiter said. “I always [played] sports, they tried to make me play sports and I was like: No, I want to dance. So I kept dancing.”

Kirschenheiter’s mother is a special education teacher. He shares the same interest.

As a first-year student, he made a switch from having a government and politics major to childhood education.

“I just always liked working with kids and I just [want to] really focus on special ed,” Kirschenheiter said. “That’s what my concentration in my masters degree will be in.”

In eighth grade, he began teaching dance, which expanded to his pastime of teaching both regular and special needs students how to dance.

“I chose St. John’s because it had the major that I was looking for, it was far away but close enough to home and they have a great dance team,” Kirschenheiter said. “It just felt like home.”

The St. John’s Dance Team has been in existence for more than 50 years according to the University’s Athletics. Tip-Off is one of many events where the dance team makes an appearance.

The dance team competes annually at UDA College Nationals according to the University. They were crowned “National Champions in Division 1 Hip Hop in 2016.”

“I can’t wait to do the nationals with them; this is my first time with a college team. So it’s like really cool.”

The University’s dance team Coach, Christine McCarton, provided some insight on the talented team.

“All of them have been dancing probably since they were 3 to 5 years old and all of them danced at studios before and they all have different degrees of ballet, jazz and hiphop training,” McCarton said.

Although Kirschenheiter is the first male to be on the dance team in the past two seasons, he is not the first one.

“We’ve had a few actually,” McCarton said. “There were three prior, then him.”

Having Kirschenheiter adds a different dynamic to the team.

“It allows us to do different types of tricks because Matt is tall and he’s strong so he can base somebody in a lift by himself,” McCarton said.

“It does allow us to do some other types of things that we wouldn’t get to do, and [overwhelmingly] every time we have a male dancer on the team the crowd [always] seems

TORCH PHOTO/AMANDA NEGRETTI

Matthew Kirschenheiter, freshman, is cheered on by his team members as he performs a dance routine during this year’s Tip-Off.

to gravitate to them, which is really nice too.”

The team worked hard on their dance routines, especially those featured at Tip-Off. In addition to McCarton, Kayla Tarver also thought the dance team had a great performance. Tarver, a junior majoring in Radiological Sciences, thought highly of Kirschenheiter.

“Their synchronicity was on point,” said Tarver. “It was fun to watch. I did notice [Kirschenheiter], he was pretty much the center of it all.”

One of Kirschenheiter’s fellow dancers, Natalie Affenita, said she enjoys dancing alongside Kirschenheiter. As a senior on the team, Affenita says she’ss had the opportunity to dance with a co-ed team twice during her time at St. John’s.

“Matt is always encouraging me through the dances and I absolutely love it,” Affenita said. “Overall, Matt is an amazing addition to the team and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”

At Tip Off, Kirschenheiter was singled out by moderator, Paul Gee, to show a few of his dance moves.

“I think he was fantastic!” Tarver continues. “I love that he feels accepted to do what he loves and do it well. And that death drop was everything!”

As Kirschenheiter continues his journey at St. John’s, he says he hopes to continue working on the dance team, to learn new tricks, and to help the team win big.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS PROGRAM

Jamie Tworkowski inspires with a message of hope, support, love and trust, while emphasizing the importance of getting help when needed.

One of this generation’s most influential voices, Mr. Tworkowski is the founder of To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), a nonprofit dedicated to helping those who suffer from depression, addiction, self injury, and suicidal tendencies. What began as a desire to tell the story of a friend in need of treatment quickly became a viral phenomenon and a global movement for healing that has reached millions. In 2015, a film based on TWLOHA was released, as was his New York Times best-selling book, If You Feel Too Much.

Features

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Fall Looks: Get Bold, Yet Subtle ALEXIS GASKIN

Staff Writer

When people think of the fall time, they usually think of leaves changing, pumpkin spice, Halloween, and others (mostly the makeup enthusiasts) warm-toned makeup looks! With main color palettes of oranges, burgundies, purples and metallic shades like copper and gold, all makeup looks showcase the true fall spirit and make you want to pull out your long-forgotten sweaters and drink hot apple cider.

Lucky for us Johnnies, we are in the perfect place to see all of the amazing changes that fall brings, with green leaves turning to oranges and reds, several St. John’s students were inspired to create makeup looks that perpetuate the fall time. Anoosha Hamid, sophomore, Amber Reeves, junior, and Alexis Ruiz, sophomore, are some students who showcased their love and talent for makeup to create fall makeup looks.

A good fall makeup look has the prominent dark lip, brushed out brows, subtle highlight, and bold yet subtle eyeshadow.

Makeup use is always evolving and is now more prominent than ever with the beauty community progressing and having more diversity.

“Beauty and fashion are two social aspects that took me a long time to embrace, because of how exclusive of a field it used to be” Ruiz said. “Thankfully, times have changed, and I’ve been shown that the beauty community has become more accepting of all people, no matter their size, shape, or background.”

Ruiz created a subtle orange-based look with a dewy highlight that embraced her

Staff Writer

Everyone loves receiving an email stating that class is canceled. It’s a refreshing break from a weekly class routine.

When this happens, resident students can chill in their room, but for commuters, finding out a class is canceled can be frustrating. Especially with the cold weather fast approaching, it can be a drag for a commuter to travel all the way to campus, only to find out that they have no class to attend. Despite initial boredom or annoyance, a commuter can still make good use of a canceled class. You can…

Sleep in If you’re lucky enough to find out about your canceled class before you leave home, then go ahead and crawl back into bed and get a couple extra hours of sleep. As college students, we need to seize every opportunity for sleep we get; before we know it, finals will be around, and we all know what happens to our sleep schedules then.

Get some work done If you’re not so lucky and find out only after having arrived on campus, using the

PRSSA Makes its First National Conference Visit BEVERLY DANQUAH

Features Editor

PHOTO COURTESY/AMBER REEVES

TORCH COURTESY/TYLER BELL-SANTUCCI

Amber Reeves (left) wears a Halloween-inspired look, while Anoosha Hamid (right) wears a makeup look reminiscent of fall colors.

tan skin tone. She used the “Fem Rosa” eyeshadow palette by Colourpop to create her orangey eyeshadow look along with a pop of blue eyeliner. She also used Fenty Beauty foundation in the shade 330 Warm to create a matte face look that allowed her eyes and cheeks to be the center of attention.

“It’s so easy to do a simple face look then pop on some strong bronze shadows on your lids,” Ruiz said. “Some rosy blush on your cheeks take your look to the next level.”

Reeves, who is no stranger to using bright colors in her makeup routine, is always trying to mix it up and create vivid makeup looks no matter the season. Her fall inspired look is reminiscent of Halloween time and the darker hues of the sunset in general.

With a palette focused on purple hues and a basic lip color, the attention for this look is the vivid color of the eyes.

Hamid, who is an avid supporter of Huda Beauty cosmetics, a brand owned by a Middle Eastern woman, is always down for a

dramatic and dark look.

“I’ve always loved the edgy, very ‘out there’ makeup looks and I feel like by doing that, I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Being a Middle Eastern woman like myself it’s great to see how we are becoming a larger part of the beauty community.”

Hamid takes on the fall makeup looks in a full glam cut-crease using dark reds, burgundies, and gold tones to create an eye-catching look that is reminiscent of changing leaves.

Hamid used Huda Beauty eyelashes and a Fenty Beauty highlighter in the shade “Trophy Wife” to take her look from full glam to dramatic luxury.

Whether you’re going a full glam look or a simple subtle vibe, the fall is a chance to experiment with warmer shades that are easy to use and gives everyone a chance to have a more comfortable, laid-back look while still being glamorous.

Canceled Class? Here’s What to do as a Commuter RACHEL JOHNSON

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time you would have spent in class to do work is a great opportunity. Use that time to get ahead on work, study for your next test, or visit a professor’s office hours. The more you get done, the less stressed you’ll be, and you’ll have more free time over the weekend!

Explore St. John’s or the city With a campus as big as St. John’s is, there’s no way any student could have explored it all. And, as a commuter, you probably don’t know the campus as well as a resident student. Use your time to walk around the parts of campus you don’t normally go to. You might just find a hidden treasure that becomes your new favorite hangout spot. Have you ever stood on the balcony behind DAC overlooking DaSilva Memorial Field? It’s a great spot to watch the sunset. Do you know where the Red Storm Café is? Or the picnic tables next to the Tobin College of Business? Go find them! Or, venture out into New York City if you have time! Visit a Borough you’ve never been to! Go to that dessert place from Instagram that you’ve been dying to visit!

Try out one of New York City’s endless supply of pizza shops that you’ve never eaten at! (I completely recommend John’s Piz-

zeria on W. 44th Street. Best NY Style Pizza EVER!) Even with four years here, the City can never be fully explored.

Go to a club or event St. John’s constantly has great clubs and events going on. And it can be annoying when a club you really wanted to join or an event you were really excited about is at the same time as your class. With your class canceled, now you can go! Take advantage of everything St. John’s has to offer, because there’s a lot.

Hang out with friends As a commuter, forming close relationships with your fellow Johnnies can sometimes be a struggle. The dormers are around each other 24/7, and commuters who don’t spend all their time on campus can sometimes feel a little left out. And that’s no one’s fault; it’s just circumstance. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have deep friendships with your classmates. It just takes a little more effort.

Use time off from class to invite someone to grab Starbucks, or play a game of pool in DAC! Being intentional about hanging out is all it takes to make your friends feel like family.

After four years as an SGI-recognized organization, SJU’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) made its way to the organization’s annual national conference on Oct. 6-10.

Held in Boston this year, the top 4 students in the organization’s e-board represented the University.

“We decided to go because we saw it as an amazing opportunity and SJU had never attended before,” PRSSA Vice President Julia Kotaev said. “As a new e-board member, I was especially looking forward to meeting other members and seeing what opportunities and knowledge the conference could open up for me.”

Kotaev attended the conference along with the organization’s co-presidents, Deyvn Downs and Adriana Ball, and their social media chair, Makayla Longdon.

The e-board members had the opportunity to attend events led by professionals in the PR world. Executives from IBM, Ogilvy Public Relations, The Celebrity Source and Weber Shandwick among others were present.

“It’s essential for those pursuing public relations to take action when opportunities to network arise,” Ball said. “It was great meeting the other universities around the country who were also in attendance.”

Kotaev and Ball say they got to interact with students from a wide array of schools including California State University Fullerton, Ohio State University and University of Alabama. They also got to interact with some universities closer to home, including City College of New York.

“My favorite part was being able to meet so many like-minded students and industry professionals who were able to provide me with tips on how to grow our chapter here at St. John’s,” Ball said.

The organization says it’s growing and always looking for new members. Students interested in joining the organization should attend their meetings “SJU being a part of this conference means strengthening our role as a chapter nationally,” Koatev said.

The University’s PR program, which was ranked #5 by College Magazine in 2016, the organization is proud PR program.

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10 Sports

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Women’s Basketball Ready The to Roll with Reloaded Roster Doubleheader Dylan Hornik

The Johnnies return eight players from last year’s 22-win team that reached the Co-Sports Editor round of 16 in the National Invitational With four seasons of more than 20 vic- Tournament, one of the premier postseason tories and five postseason appearances un- contests in college basketball.

The Red Storm’s playoff run came just a der his belt, St. John’s women’s basketball year after winning their first Big East Tourcoach Joe Tartamella has a keen eye for nament title since 1988. quality talent. So when he excitedly spoke Of the six letterwinners that St. John’s of his roster for the upcoming Red Storm lost, only two were starters: last year’s Big basketball season, it justified the buzz East Co-Defensive Player of the Year Aaaround the historically consistent team. liyah Lewis and a former All-Conference At Big East Media Day on Oct. 18, TarFirst Team honoree Jade Walker, both of tamella talked about his 11-player squad, whom have signed professional contracts. with his signature steely confidence floodReplacing that dynamic duo is no small ing the Madison Square Garden floor. task, but Tartamella is no stranger to re“Players see the opportunity we present tooling the Red Storm roster. within our league, at our university and in He relied on Lewis and Walker to be onthe way that we play,” he said. “What these court leaders after two of the program’s best young ladies have seen is that they wanted players, Aliyyah Handford and Danaejah to be a part of what we were doing. And not Grant, graduated. just be a part to rebuild, but a part to reload.”

Handford is the only woman in St. John’s history to cross the 2,000-point mark in a career and Grant won the 2015–16 conference scoring title at nearly 20 points per game.

“We’ve just had really good players and great staff,” Tartamella said. “We’ve been able to show a track record of being able to [send players to the pros, including four WNBA Draft TORCH PHOTO/NICK BELLO picks since 2013].”

Now, he’ll look to stalwart Akina Wellere will be one of the leaders for the Red Storm in 2017–18 after starting all 33 games last year. returning players, such as se-

nior Imani Littleton, whose season ended prematurely last season thanks to knee and shoulder injuries, sophomore Andrayah Adams and junior Akina Wellere, who was second on the team in scoring with almost 12 points per contest. “[Littleton] is just a really great kid,” Tartamella said. “She played hurt, probably many times. We’re glad to have her back, and she’s just really starting to come into her own. She’s gonna do a lot for us. She’s a quiet kid, but she’s a tough sucker.”

The Red Storm have an interesting crop of newcomers to go along with the plethora of returnees, including senior transfer Curteeona Brelove, but the 38-year-old coach said he’s been very impressed with his two freshman, 6-foot-3 forward Kayla Charles and Staten Island native Qadashah Hoppie.

“She’s just long as hell,” he said of Charles, a Far Rockaway native. “I’ve never had a kid who can protect the rim like she does, and she doesn’t even know how good she can be.”

Tartamella is so comfortable with the depth of his roster that he’s experimented with quite a few different lineups. And the Red Storm begin the quest toward their 16th postseason appearance, Tartamella’s ingenuity will be key.

“We’ve got a lot to rotate in, so I feel pretty good about the flexibility we have,” he said. “There’s some good stuff there to be able to stretch the floor, especially with our bigs, because then someone has to guard them.”

Women’s Golf Finishes Second at Brown Bear Invitational in Mass.

John Cavanagh

Staff Writer

Last week, the St. John’s women’s golf team scored a runner-up finish at the Brown Bear Invitational in Seekonk, Mass.

The field included eleven teams, with Seton Hall winning the team title at a score of 569.

However, the Red Storm carded a season-low with a score of 603 (+35), a total considerably lower than their season round average of 314.83. Their second-place finish is a big improvement over their eighthplace finish at the last tournament, the Boston College Intercollegiate.

Head coach Ambry Bishop, in her thirteenth season as St. John’s women’s golf coach, was pleased with her team’s effort.

“I was very pleased with our play this weekend,” she said to Red Storm Sports.

“Even though we had a break in our schedule, we worked really hard and continued creating competitive environments during practice over the last few weeks to help make us even stronger at the Brown event.”

Leading the way for the Johnnies were Alejandra Sanchez and Kaitleen Shee, both of whom scored top ten finishes. Shee entered Tuesday as the team’s number one golfer, with sophomore Linda Wang sitting

PHOTO COURTESY/ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Alejandra Sanchez was tied for first after day one of the Bear Brown Invitational.

out due to an illness.

She had a solid first round, registering a one-over 72. The sophomore from Irvine, Calif., also scored a two-over 73 in the final round thanks to three birdies on the front nine, and finished tied for sixth in the tournament with an overall score of 145. Shee is looking to build off an impressive freshman year with the Johnnies, where she posted five top-ten finishes, and posted a score of 73 four times.

Sanchez, a junior from Cancun, Mexico, plays with her sister, freshman Andrea

Sanchez. She was tied for first after the opening day of play, scoring a one-under 70 with four birdies to lead the team. She scored a 144 overall for both rounds.

Sanchez had a slow start over the first couple of weeks, but credited hard work as to what guided her turn around last weekend.

“I was struggling my first couple weeks but I worked really hard this past weekend and felt very good with myself and my performance,” Sanchez also told Red Storm Sports. “My first round score was actually my first under par round at the collegiate

Derrell Bouknight

Co-Sports Editor The lower bowl of the World’s Most Famous Arena was eerily quiet, filled mainly with journalists scribbling notes and snapping photos, shutters and scribbling writing utensils the only noise present aside from the occasional mumble.

Chris Mullin leaned back in his seat, his arm around the back of a chair in eyeshot of Billy Joel’s banner of never-ending shows performed at the Garden.

He seemed relaxed and at home at Big East Media Day. The arena would be his in under two months against Iona and four more times after that.

He spoke of Marcus LoVett and Shamorie Ponds, one of the country’s best backcourts.

He wants them to rebound more, be vocal leaders and harass opponents on defense.

With just two seniors on the roster, one being a junior college transfer from last year, Mullin will rely on his two stars for more than just on-court production.

Much of what the team lacked over the last couple of years has been addressed. Marvin Clark Jr. brings much-needed physicality and may see significant time at the center position, Mullin said during the coaches panel.

Justin Simon is versatile and will play several positions, from guard to forward.

Big men Tariq Owens and Kassoum Yakwe will look to provide a greater defensive presence in the paint, a characteristic that would perfectly compliment two of the nation’s top shot-blockers.

The team is projected to finish sixth in the Big East, two spots above where they ended up last year. Mullin and his roster are looking to add to last year’s six-game improvement, an appearance in either the NIT or NCAA Tournament a goal for the third-year coach.

A few hours later, women’s coach Joe Tartamella took the floor. His words echoed those of Mullin, the excited feel of basketball season creeping into the New York air as November slowly introduces itself.

Tartamella smiled as he spoke of his team, proudly distributing compliments of his senior leaders and newcomers. The women who have represented his teams since his 2012 arrival have helped him clinch five consecutive postseason appearances, the last four all being 20-win seasons.

The Red Storm returns eight players who played last season, including Big East All-Freshman Team selection Alisha Kebbe.

Seniors Imani Littleton, Tamesha Alexander and Maya Singleton will add veteran leadership for a team projected to finish seventh in the conference.

Junior Akina Wellere was named to the Preseason All-Big East Team following a breakout sophomore campaign in which she averaged 11.3 points per game.

St. John’s fell in the Round of 16 to eventual WNIT champion Michigan, but overcame adversity, including the preseason injury that prevented highly-touted freshman Tiana England from hitting the floor.

But numbers don’t matter to Coach Tartamela and his roster. Talent prevails over all.

Sports 11

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Women’s Soccer Scores Senior Day Victory Over Xavier in Double OT Nick McCreven

Staff Writer

The St. John’s women’s soccer team snagged a 1-0 double overtime win on Saturday over Xavier. The match was the final home game of the season for the team, marking Senior Day for the graduating players.

The six seniors on the squad (Sarah Chaides, Mikhaila Martinov, Shea Connors, Jesse Schaefer, Mariela Jacome and Allie Moar) all played their final game at Belson Stadium in what turned out to be an exciting victory for the Red Storm.

The game was actually decided on an own goal coming from a Xavier defender who attempted to clear the ball wide of the goal but missed and shot it right on the inside of the post, past her own goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

The Johnnies went for eight shots on goal, four of which were from Christina Bellero, and 12 shots total, six of which from Bellero. Jordan Kamp made six saves and grabbed her seventh win and fourth clean sheet of the season.

The back-line defense of Moar, Schaefer, Martinov, Christine McBeath, and Mecara Bruce played the whole game, including both overtime periods, and held the Xavier offense back tightly.

“Xavier is a very good team,” Head Coach Ian Stone said after the game. “It’s no coin-

cidence they have the record they have so far this season. I thought, in the first half, they took it to us a little so we had to change some things up at halftime. Then it was just a matter of fighting, digging deep on our home field on Senior Day to get the result.

“We had some pretty good chances and didn’t capitalize on them but we just kept pushing forward and believing and eventually found a way,” he continued.

The win gave the Red Storm to an 8-8-1 record on the season and a 4-4-0 record in the Big East this season.

The team has rebounded nicely after a four-game losing streak early in September, posting a 4-3 record since Sept. 28. They’ve won three matches in a row to move into a tie with Maruqette for fifth place in the conference with 12 points.

Nationally-ranked Georgetown leads the conference with a 5-1-2 conference record and 17 points.

This game comes after last week’s announcement that Schaefer was named Defensive Player of the Week in the Big East, the first such honor of her career.

Schaefer anchored the Johnnies’ defense in what was, at the time of the announcement, four shutouts for the season. That is now five after Saturday’s win over Xavier.

Bellero, a junior, and Jordan Kamp, a redshirt freshman, were also named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll last week. Belle-

TORCH PHOTO/NICK BELLO

Allie Moar, shown here against Seton Hall on Oct. 14, was one of six seniors honored during the team’s 1-0, double overtime victory over Xavier on Oct. 22 at Belson Stadium.

ro ranked third in the conference in goals scored with six and fourth in points with 15 at the time of the announcement.

Kamp was in the top 10 in the conference in goals against average, save percentage and saves at the same juncture.

St. John’s will take on DePaul in Chicago on Thursday to end its regular season, then will play in Big East Tournament on Oct. 29.

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Calling all talented designers

We need SOCKS! Not just any socks, we need cool socks that scream St. John’s!

The St. John’s Office of Annual Campaigns will be accepting designs until Tuesday, 10/31. These socks will be given to donors who have consistently supported your education. Help us thank them.

The grand prize (St. John’s apparel) along with a pair of your socks will go to the best designer.

We look forward to seeing your designs. Be creative!

D e s i g n s p e cs a n d r e q u i r e m e n ts 2 separate designs – for men and women’s socks, respectively. All submissions must be in jpeg format and must include your name, email address and cell number, so we can reach the designer of the victorious sock.

Please upload all designs here: stjohns.edu/socks

SPORTS |

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TORCH PHOTO/NICK BELLO

October 25, 2017 | VOLUME 95, ISSUE 8

Mullin Ready For Year Three Ponds, Lovett ready to make an impact on both sides Derrell Bouknight

Co-Sports Editor New faces and an improved roster have Chris Mullin ready to get his third season as head coach of the Red Storm underway Nov. 1 in a home exhibition against American International.

From the opening at the coaches panel to the media scrum that surrounded him minutes later at Big East Media Day last Wednesday, Mullin praised his team for how they’ve come together over the offseason through workouts and practices. After a six-game improvement in his sophomore campaign, the basketball Hall-of-Famer is excited to showcase an abundance of new and returning talent.

After strolling the floors of Madison Square Garden to do television interviews, Mullin settled down underneath a basket to preview his team. The smile on his face threw away anything he tried to hide. This year may finally be the year. Fans have waited since the 2014-2015 season to see their Red Storm return to the NCAA Tournament. And for

Mullin, that quest begins with the play of his star-studded backcourt.

“I think it’s just natural, just time together,” Mullin said of the development of Marcus LoVett and Shamorie Ponds. “Being confident in their teammates to share the basketball, and also taking on big responsibilities defensively and rebounding. That’s something we need from them.”

St. John’s returns six players who saw significant time on the court last season. Aside from Ponds and LoVett, big men Tariq Owen and Kassoum Yakwe as well as versatile contributors Amar Alibegovic and Bashir Ahmed will play key roles if the Johnnies want to make a run into the postseason.

Eligible transfers Marvin Clark Jr. and Justin Simon will make an immediate impact.

Simon, who came over from Arizona, is a versatile player who can play both guard and forward. With his ability to handle the ball and run the offense, Mullin believes he can use Simon in a number of ways. He plans to use him as a primary ball-handler in a small lineup with Ponds and LoVett, who would play off the ball and spot up for shots beyond the arc.

Listed at roughly 6 foot 7 and close to 240

pounds, Clark adds a physical presence that Mullin says the team lacked last season. Although his height takes away from him being a true center, Mullin said Clark will see significant time at the five spot.

A noticeable difference was seen during pickup games and workouts in the summer, one that Mullin referred to as “tremendous”.

“I’d say speed, length, athleticism. And from last year’s team to this summer, just experience and maturation. I think physically and mentally, guys are more confident in themselves. They understand what’s being asked of them, and more open to fulfilling what’s being asked of them.”

In a conference as challenging as the Big East, Mullin and other coaches acknowledged how hard it is to win. Whether on the road or in their home gym, each opponent, despite their record, brings an intensity that can be hard to match. Mullin, calling experience invaluable, believes his team is suited to withstand much of the triumphs that the conference presents.

“Just understanding what it takes to win just a single Big East game, then to go out on the road and win, being able to deal with the losses and bouncing back…all that stuff

you learn by going through it,” he said. “You can’t tell guys how to handle that. They have to go through it themselves.”

Two years after finishing at the bottom of the conference, Mullin believes this year’s team is poised and ready to take the next step. He was confident, but slight breaks in his normally reserved demeanor gave way to his anticipation for what could be his best season as a coach.

To bring his alma mater back to prominence, Mullin knows that nothing will come easy. The Garden was the perfect place to reference boxing, a plaque of Ali and Frazier just around the corner in the tunnel. Even if their backs are against the wall, the Red Storm won’t back down from anyone.

“We know we can play with anybody in the country on a given night, and we can get beat,” he said. “That’s a good thing. You always have your guard up. That’s why you rehearse. That’s why you practice.”

Inevitably, challenges will arise. But for St. John’s to return to glory, it’s all necessary.

“That’s why you spar with each other. And every time you come out, you know damn well if you don’t put your best effort out there, you get beat.”